News and Happenings

There are plenty of life changes you can’t see coming. Having your kids grow up and leave the nest isn’t one of those changes, yet it still throws so many people for a loop. Jaime’s advice: don’t wait til they start studying for the SATs to plan for life after kids. She answers a question from a mom who feels lost now that her kids aren’t at home. Plus, dating tips for a father who wants to get back out there after devoting his life to his son. 

As promised, it’s the second episode about cheating, and this week, Jaime focuses on the other woman. She calls up a listener who was the other woman, just got contacted again by the guy, and doesn’t know what to do. Plus: a listener who thinks the best way to be in a casual relationship is to be the other woman and someone who wonders how smart women end up becoming the other woman.

Some people absolutely know they would leave if their partner cheated on them. Think “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood, for example. This episode is not for those people. In the first of two episodes about cheating, Jaime talks about the tough decision to stay in a relationship after infidelity. She calls up a listener who is struggling to break down the walls she put up after her husband had an affair. Plus, listener questions about keeping your partner’s infidelity a secret from friends and family and trying to get past the pain to a place of trust again. 

There’s a difference between having a bad girl phase and being a bad girl. Having a bad girl phase can help you figure out who you are and what you like and don’t like. But it’s not a hall pass to treat people poorly or be reckless. This week Jaime talks about her evolution from The Jersey Devil, as she was known, to a wife and mom who still feels the bad girl pull. Plus listener questions from a concerned sister, someone who is considering a bad girl phase after a breakup and someone having a hard time forgiving herself for her bad girl past.

The line between what you do and who you are is getting more and more blurry. Work used to be something you did for a paycheck. Now, it’s how many of us define ourselves. And the pandemic has only made things more confusing. Millions have lost their jobs. Many of us are now working from home. Essential workers are more essential than ever before. This week Jaime connects with some listeners who need advice: Todd and Amanda want to know how to build their brand and Bethany feels stuck but needs a push from Jaime to take the next step.

Society tells us that family bonds are unbreakable — that your sister should be your best friend, that you should call your mom several times a day just to chat. Well it’s great when life works out like that. But the truth is, that often isn’t the case. This week Jaime tackles the difficult topic of family estrangement with the help of therapist Melanie Storrusten. They go in-depth on Jaime’s own struggles with her mom and siblings — which she traces back to the death of her dad when she was 17 years old — and answer questions from listeners. Is it possible to cut off your mom without hurting her? What should you do if other people in your family shame you for creating boundaries for yourself? Plus, how to talk about your family in social situations if you are estranged from them.

We all have secrets. Some are small. Some are life-altering. Sometimes they’re about you; other times, someone else. Regardless, secrets are all around us and rarely talked about because….well, they’re secret. This week Jaime talks about the emotional toll of keeping secrets. She shares what it was like to go on a reality show and realize all her secrets weren’t going to be secrets anymore and answers questions from listeners. Should you tell your friend her husband is cheating? Should you tell your husband a secret about your own sexuality? Plus, Jaime advises a listener who started secretly smoking during COVID-19.

Most people are comfortable talking about death, but struggle with the aftermath – grief. As a society, we don’t give it the space, time, or messiness it deserves. As today’s guest says, people don’t want you to “get your sad on other people.” But talking about it is one way we can make it less awful. And if you can do the talking while laughing? Even better. This week Jaime is joined by Nora McInerny, author and host of the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking. They bond over their shared losses – both Jaime and Nora lost their fathers and experienced miscarriages – and offer advice to people who are in the thick of grieving someone or something. Plus, listener questions about staying in a marriage after the death of a child and grieving an incarcerated son.

Today, we are breaking the mold on a topic that touches everyone in some way: addiction. And it isn’t limited to drugs and alcohol like we’ve always thought. We can have addictions to food, sex, technology, work. The list of compulsive behaviors that yield potentially negative consequences is endless. This week Jaime is joined by Dr. Nzinga Harrison, a psychiatrist, addiction specialist, and host of the podcast In Recovery, who takes the shame out of the conversation and might just change the way you think about addiction forever. Jaime opens up about her lifelong struggle with body dysmorphia and gets a new perspective on her past history with cocaine. Together, they answer questions about what to do if your partner has a severe addiction and how to determine if you can live with the consequences of someone’s addiction.

We all pretty much know how to end relationships with romantic partners. But what do you do if you need to break up with a friend? One basic rule exists: Don’t ghost. It’s emotional warfare. Don’t do it. Jaime shares the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to ending friendships and answers your questions about moving on. Topics include what to do when your lives and interests start to drift apart and how to change your approach if you sense your friends aren’t responding to you anymore.